Improvement in spading-machines



3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

l. GILES. Spalding-Machines. No.147,l22. Patented Fe.b-.3,1874,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JORDAN c1`LEs,`oF Louisvnmn, KENTUCKY. v

j IMPROVEMENT lNSPDlNGiM/*CH'NES' Specilication forming part of` Letters Patento. 147,122, dated February 3, 1874; application filed YSeptember 24,' 1873.

ments in Spading-Machines, of which the following is a specification:

The nature of my invention cons1sts,'iirst,

in so hanging the spades or diggers that they will be moved rearward, ou descending into the earth, a distance precisely equal to that of the forward progression ofthe machine during their cut,.so that all dragging while in the ground will be prevented 5 secondly, in a novel mechanism, hereinafter fully explained, for raising and lowering the spades or diggers.

In the annexed drawings7 Figure l is a plan view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a see tional bottom view more particularly desi gned to show the mechanism for adjusting the elevation of the spades. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the lifting and guide bar and immediate connections.

The saine letters of reference are used in all the figures in the designation cfidentical parts.

The machine illustrated is driven by steam, a generator, B, being mounted upon the frame A, intended to supply a pair ot' engines, whose piston-rods are to be coupled, respectively, to the cranks G1 C1 of the transverse drivingshaft C, the overhung ends of which carry loose pinions D2 D2 meshing into the internal gears D11)l of the traction-wheels D D. Sliding clutches are placed on the drivingshaft adjacent to the pinions, as at D3 D, by means of which the pinions may' be locked to the shaft to turn with it. rIhe handles E of the spades F are, at their extreme upper ends, pivoted to cranks G1 of the counter shaft Gr, which is mounted upon the rear elevated end A of the frame, carrying two fixed pin ions, G2 G2, which mesh into the spurwheels VU2 C2, hung loosely on the main or drivingshaft C, and controlled by sliding clutches C" Ci. A spading action is imparted to the spades by compelling the handles to move on a transverse bar, H, suspended by arms II from the counter-shaft G. In the example shown this bar passes through slots E in the handles 5 but the same result can be effected by passing the handles through holes in the bar.

It is obvious .thatthe progression o f the machine tends to drag the spades while descending into the earth. To obviate this, I impart to the spades a compensating retrograde motion through the medium of the bar H, by curving the slots E in the handles, in the manner clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, or by simply curving the handles in like manner where they play through holes in the bar, as hereinbefore explained. The depth of the cut of the spades is regulated by adjustment of the bar H-that is, swinging it to a higher or lower elevation by the suspension-arms Il', which are to this` end controlled by sliding rods I I, laterally-projecting studs or rollers i 'L' of which extend into slots h 7L in said arms. The rods I rest in hangers suspended from the side bars of the frame, and extend to near the forward end thereof. Each rod is provided with along screw-thread, if, at its end adapted to a thread cut in the eye of a pinion, I. These pinions are bevelwheels, and one of them meshes into a large bevel-wheel, K, carried on the lower end ofthe vertical spindle K1, which is operated by means of a crank, K2, or a hand wheel. The other pinion Il is driven at the same speed through the intermediate wheels L1 and L2 on the transverse shaft L. By turning the wheel K in one direction or the other, the rods I are either drawn forward, lowering' the bar II, or pushed rearward, elevating the bar.

The machine is guided by the guide-wheels M, whose axle is iixed to the vertical spindle Ml, which carries a spur-wheel, M2, and is operated by the pinion N1 on the spindle N. The hand-wheel N2 on this spindle is in close proximity to the crank K2 for convenience in operating them.

In starting the. machine, the pinions D2 remain unelutched, while the wheels G2 are clutched to the driving-shaft. The spades, at the timeelevated, so as not to touch the ground when depressed, are then set in motion, and the bar l'I gradually lowered until the point is reached which will give the desired depth of cut. rIhe pinions D2 are then clutched to the main shaft, when the machine at once begins to move forward. rI he traction wheels are loose on their axle, and in turning a corner the pinion operating the inside wheel will be unclutched, to permit said wheel to turn independently of the other, as is required. The arrangement of the cranks G1 s such that the spades will dig successively, and the width of the row of spades is, preferably, somewhat greater than the area spanned by the tractionwl1eels,so that the latter may always travel on unbroken ground. The bar H may be raised and lowered by a single sliding rod, I; but the use of two is preferable on many accounts.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the bar II and spade- 

